It is known for charging systems in various types of plug-in electric vehicles to include a delayed charging feature. When active, a delayed charging feature, as the name suggests, causes charging of the vehicle battery to be delayed for a period of time rather than charging the battery immediately upon the vehicle being “plugged in.”
Delayed charging features can provide a number of benefits. These benefits may include, for example, lessening the demand on the power source during periods of time when such demand is typically at its peak, allowing the battery to be charged during periods of time when electricity costs are reduced (i.e., off-peak electricity rates), and charging the battery as close as possible to a known departure time so as to reduce the loss of charge in the battery and to enhance its calendar life by minimizing the time at which it is at a maximum state-of-charge (SOC). Delayed charging features are not without their drawbacks, however.
For example, when a plug-in electric vehicle with a severely depleted battery is connected to a power source, implementing delayed charging features effectively renders the vehicle useless until the battery is sufficiently re-charged. As a result, if an unplanned event occurs that requires use of the vehicle (e.g., a trip to the store) during the time in which charging is delayed, that vehicle will be unavailable.